The tolerance depends on the dimension your looking at. There are over 100 features that need to be inspected when setting up/running frames. I can tell you the drawings are very "crowded" with all of the call outs/dimensions.
Sbardella Arms in progress shop photos...
All the cool pistol smiths/custom shops on here seem to have their own picture threads. I enjoy following these and seeing all the great work and talent displayed from other smiths. I'm starting this thread to show some of the work we do here at Sbardella Arms.
This week we are machining frames. Notice how this forging has been blanchard ground on the sides, which is the first step in the machining process:
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After several operations, the blank now has the front radius cuts, checkering, and mag well machined:
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Clamped in fixture for next machining operation:
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I paused the machine here to show the big saw that cuts the slot in the back of the frame for the ignition components:
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Here the part is in another machine, getting a bunch of detailed work done in a 4th axis rotary:
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This week we are machining frames. Notice how this forging has been blanchard ground on the sides, which is the first step in the machining process:
After several operations, the blank now has the front radius cuts, checkering, and mag well machined:
Clamped in fixture for next machining operation:
I paused the machine here to show the big saw that cuts the slot in the back of the frame for the ignition components:
Here the part is in another machine, getting a bunch of detailed work done in a 4th axis rotary:
21 - 40 of 115 Posts
A good morning bump with some info/temptation...
www.sbardella-arms.com
1911 | Sbardella Arms | United States
Sbardella Arms, Inc. manufactures custom 1911 handguns
www.sbardella-arms.com
Now that I've got some frames machined, it's time to start on the next batch of guns. I'm building two 38 supers, one of which we are building for "stock" so it will be up for sale when finished! Its a 5" Custom Carry with target rear sight, no front cocking serrations. Here are the slide, frame and barrel for that build:
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Kart leaves extra material on the barrel hood (length and width) and I first want to trim the hood length a bit closer before hand fitting. Here I'm measuring the breach to locking lug distance with an inside micrometer:
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And now cutting the hood length close in the manual lathe:
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Now back at the bench I've got my lower lug centering jig in the frame and its time to fit the hood width by hand with a file.
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After a bit of filing on each side, the hood slips into place. I want a nice tight fit here but no binding.
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Now even though I machined some length off the hood, its still a bit too long to lock up. Time to put some marker on the end and see where its rubbing:
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After a bit of filing and stoning the barrel locks up nice and smoothly with good contact on the end of the hood.
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Now its back to the manual lathe to work on the bushing fit. These Kart bushings have extra material on the OD and ID and need to be hand fit. Here I have the bushing in a fixture to polish the OD to fit the slide.
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Kart leaves extra material on the barrel hood (length and width) and I first want to trim the hood length a bit closer before hand fitting. Here I'm measuring the breach to locking lug distance with an inside micrometer:
And now cutting the hood length close in the manual lathe:
Now back at the bench I've got my lower lug centering jig in the frame and its time to fit the hood width by hand with a file.
After a bit of filing on each side, the hood slips into place. I want a nice tight fit here but no binding.
Now even though I machined some length off the hood, its still a bit too long to lock up. Time to put some marker on the end and see where its rubbing:
After a bit of filing and stoning the barrel locks up nice and smoothly with good contact on the end of the hood.
Now its back to the manual lathe to work on the bushing fit. These Kart bushings have extra material on the OD and ID and need to be hand fit. Here I have the bushing in a fixture to polish the OD to fit the slide.
Attachments
Now that the barrel is polished, the bushing will slip onto it but it will not tilt. It has to be able to tilt a certain amount so that the barrel can link up, so its time to polish the ID of the bushing.
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Roll your sleeves up and watch your fingers when your polishing on the lathe!
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You need to check your progress periodically by assembling the slide, barrel and bushing and testing the lockup. If you don't have enough barrel tilt, you will have a "sprung barrel" condition which is a really bad thing for accuracy. After a bit of work I am happy with the lockup.
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I already fit the slide to frame on this build. I wasn't really sure how to take pictures of this process, maybe I will try on the next build and give an explanation. Next we need to fit the lower barrel lugs, and for this we use a lug cutter.
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You can see the chips on the little carbide cutter from this opperation.
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And here is the Kart barrel after the lug cutting operation.
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I determined that a number 4 barrel link was the correct length.
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I didn't take any pictures of filing in the radius and pressing the pin in. As you can see, fitting a barrel this way is A LOT of work!
Roll your sleeves up and watch your fingers when your polishing on the lathe!
You need to check your progress periodically by assembling the slide, barrel and bushing and testing the lockup. If you don't have enough barrel tilt, you will have a "sprung barrel" condition which is a really bad thing for accuracy. After a bit of work I am happy with the lockup.
I already fit the slide to frame on this build. I wasn't really sure how to take pictures of this process, maybe I will try on the next build and give an explanation. Next we need to fit the lower barrel lugs, and for this we use a lug cutter.
You can see the chips on the little carbide cutter from this opperation.
And here is the Kart barrel after the lug cutting operation.
I determined that a number 4 barrel link was the correct length.
I didn't take any pictures of filing in the radius and pressing the pin in. As you can see, fitting a barrel this way is A LOT of work!
Today I set the lockup on the barrel, fit the trigger components and fit the thumb and grip safeties. Fit and adjusted the extractor, installed the sights and got the gun together for initial test fire. I test fire each gun for function before doing any finish work. Initial test fire is where I check for things like proper feeding, ejection etc. Sometimes you have to tweak the extractor, or adjust the throating of the barrel at this point if there are any issues, but this test fire went rather well with minimal adjustments required. I snapped a pic while I had it out on the range:
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Next week will be the blending work, parts finishing and prep for bluing. This is going to be one sweet pistol, and its chambered in an iconic caliber!
Next week will be the blending work, parts finishing and prep for bluing. This is going to be one sweet pistol, and its chambered in an iconic caliber!
21 - 40 of 115 Posts
